Silo unloader drive means



7, 1964 F. E. BUSCHBOM 3,139,995

SILO UNLOADER DRIVE MEANS Filed July 15, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FL 070 E. BUSCHBOM ATToR/VE vs United States Patent 3,139,995 SEO UNLOADER DRIVE MEANS Floyd E. Buschbom, Long Lake, Minn assiguor to Vandale Corporation, Long Lake, Minn, a corporation of Minnesota Filed July 15, 1960, Ser. No. 46,860 14 Claims. (Cl. 21417) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in silo unloader drive means of the type shown in Patents 2,719,058 and 2,794,560. More particularly, it relates to a drive means for a silo unloader which is adjustable to provide a desired amount of pressure on the various silo unloader wall engaging wheels, and particularly on the outboard wall engaging wheels. This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending application Serial No.

821,182, now abandoned.

In the use of silo unloaders of the type adapted to rest upon and be driven over the ensilage surface, such as shown in the foregoing patents, it has been found that it is extremely desirable to control the force of engagement of the outboard wall engaging wheels with the silo as well as such force of engagement of the advance wall engaging wheel, i.e. the pressure exerted upon each by the drive means. It has also been found extremely desirable, so far as possible, to minimize the side slip of the drive means or hub while maintaining the desired pressure on the wall engaging wheels.

As will be appreciated, there is thus a problem of providing sufficient rotary force for the unloader, while providing suflicient pressure on the outboard wall engaging wheels so that they stay in constant communica tion with the silo wall and permit effective removal of the ensilage especially adjacent the wall where the ensilage is the hardest and most frozen or compacted. Where an advance wall engaging wheel is used, such effect must be provided while in addition maintaining constant communication of the advance Wall engaging Wheel with the silo wall.

This has particularly been a problem where the transmission or drive gear housing is positioned substantially to one side of the center of the silo (at a position substantially greater than the radius of the silo) which has been found to be desirable together with the establishment of a slight cone of ensilage within the silo, to preclude dragging of the transmission in the silage.

It has also been found desirable in many instances to eliminate the advance guide or wall engaging wheel on the silo unloader which elimination requires precise adjustment of the drive hub to insure suflicient, yet not excessive, wall pressure on the outboard wall engaging wheels.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and useful driving means for a silo unloader.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and useful drive hub means adapted to drive a silo unloader over supporting ensilage in cooperation with a silo unloader having wall engaging Wheels.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and useful drive hub means for a silo unloader having wall engaging wheels whereby the pressure may be distributed as desired between outboard wall engaging Wheels and advance wall engaging wheel means.

A further object of this invention is the provision of new and useful drive hub assembly in which side slip thereof may be minimized.

Still a further object of this invention is the provision of a new and useful drive hub means for a silo unloader which may be adjustably positioned with reference to the unloader.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and useful drive hub means for a silo unloader which per- 3,139,995 Patented July 7, 1964 "Ice mits utilization of the unloader without an advance guide wheel.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and useful silo unloader having improved wall engaging and drive means.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a new and useful cooperating silo unloader transmission and drive means.

Other objects of this invention reside in the use of a plurality of universal means for securing a drive hub to a connecting silo unloader mechanism; in the structural details of the supporting mechanism and adjusting mechanism for the hub and in the cooperation of the hub with the silo unloader and its outboard wall engaging wheels, and in the position of the transmission.

Still other and further objects of the invention are those inherent and apparent in the structure as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various Ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed.

This invention will be. described with reference to the drawings in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a silo unloader embodying one modification of the instant invention, partially in horizontal section, and shown in position on the surface of ensilage within a silo, the silo wall being shown in horizontal section;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the drive hub means of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary elevational view taken along the lines and in the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 and illustrating a second modification of the invention;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view, partly in horizontal section, of the modification of FIG- URE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken along the arrows 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

In use the drive hub means of this invention is shown as assembled for driving a silo unloader of the type shown in Patent 2,794,560 and reference will be made thereto for the details of unloader construction. However, it is to be understood that the drive hub means herein illustrated and described is useful for driving other'types of silo unloaders adapted to be positioned on the surface of an ensilage mass for removing ensilage therefrom and the specification so contemplates within the terms of the claims.

The silo unloader generally designated 10 is shown positioned within a tower or upright silo, having a peripheral wall 11 extending upwardly from the ground and a plurality of removable access doors in vertical alignment, one of which is shown at 12, in FIGURES l and 4. The silo unloader is adapted to rotate within the confine of the wall 11 gradually unloading a mass of ensilage from the silo and through the doors as shown in Patent 2,794,560.

Reference is now made to FIGURE 1. There the silo unloader is shown to comprise advance Wheel 13 journalled for rotation to guide rod 14 attached to the unloader frame 15 and braced therefrom by brace 16. A

second brace 17 is secured thereto and to the unloader frame 15 and serves to provide additional strength for 3 the positioning of wheel 13 and to function as a guard to preclude engagement with the augers of the unloader.

The silo unloader is provided with two outboard wall engaging wheels 18 and 19 journalled to the frame 15 for rotation about a vertical axis. Frame 15 comprises extending members 20 and 21 which serve to support augers 22 and 23, a central impeller 24, a gear box, housing or transmission 26 through which the shafts 27 and 28 of augers 22 and 23 are driven and from which extends a driving shaft 29 for the hub means generally designated 30.

A motor 31 is supported on the frame 15 on cross braces and drives belt 32 which in turn drives the rotor of impeller 24, and also drives belt 33 which drives the shaft 34 for gear box or housing 26. Thus, through the drive of motor 31, and through the gears of housing 26, shaft 29 will be driven which serves as a driving shaft for driving the drive hub means 30 or 30A as the case may be.

All of the foregoing is adequately explained in detail in Patent 2,794,560 to which reference is made for more complete description.

To shaft 29 is secured (pinned) a universal 35 in turn secured (pinned) to a shaft 36 the other end of which is secured to a second universal 37 in turn secured to a shaft 38. Shaft 38 is apertured to provide access for a cotter key 39 serving to position a spacer 40 between it and sleeve 41. Sleeve 41 is provided with an extending lug or car 42.

Pinned to the shaft 38 is a hub 43 pinned thereto by apertured bosses 43A having the configuration shown best in FIGURE 2. Positioned between the outboard boss 43A and a second identical but oppositely turned sleeve 41 is a spacer sleeve 44. A second collar 40 is positioned exterior thereof and positioned by a second cotter key 39 through shaft 38.

Pivoted to the ear 42 of inboard sleeve 41 by bolt assembly 45 is the bifurcated end of a sleeve 46 (shown as square) which is apertured at its other end to receive a second bolt assembly 47. Sleeve 46, as shown, is square and has a bifurcated end, but it may be tubular or otherwise as desired. It is hollow to receive the end of a shaft 48 which has a cooperating form, in this instance square. Shaft 48 is provided with a plurality of apertures in any one of which bolt assembly 47 may be positioned. Shaft 48 is also provided with a bifurcated end pivoted at bolt assembly 49 to a lug 50, secured to a second sleeve 51. Sleeve 51 is similar to sleeve 46 but elongated and is likewise pivoted by a bifurcated end at bolt assembly 49 to the outboard sleeve 41. It is provided with a bolt assembly 52 which may be inserted in any one of the plurality of apertures in the elongated brace member 53. Brace member 53 is of cooperating form and is connected to the outboard end of the unloader in any suitable manner, as shown in Patent 2,794,560, and is slidable in sleeve 51.

It will be appreciated that in operation of the modification of FIGURES 1-3, the hub 43 may be adjusted inwardly and outwardly with reference to the silo wall, forwardly and backwardly and the angle at which it is positioned with respect to the extension of the augers of the unloader may be varied as desired. To do so, it is only necessary to remove the bolt assembly 52, slide sleeve 51 inwardly and outwardly with reference to brace member 53, to remove bolt assembly 47 and slide member 48 inwardly and outwardly with reference to the sleeve 46, and when the desired positions have been determined to replace bolt assemblies 47 and 52 in cooperating apertures for retaining the drive hub in adjusted position.

In the modification of FIGURES 46, the brace or guard 17A is curved at both ends and connected to lugs on the frame member 21A.

The frame members 20A and 21A, as well as the auger members 22A and 23A, are elongated as shown and have an extension greater than that of the modification of FIGURES 1-3 so that the gear box, housing or transmission 26A may be positioned in spaced relation to impeller 24 as shown in FIGURE 4. This permits the unloader to be balanced so that in its circumnavigations of the silo a slight cone of ensilage may be established, and the transmission 26A will be positioned at all times over the slope of the cone opposite to the slope over which frame 21A-20A is positioned to preclude any dragging of the transmission in the ensilage. Such positioning does not appear to be feasible without the provision of the adjustable drive hub means 30 or 30A.

In the modification of FIGURES 46, there is substituted for the adjustable brace member 53, the brace member 53A pivoted to lug 54 on frame member 20A and having a flattened end 55. A second flattened end 56 is provided with a pair of bolt assemblies 57 and 58 positioned in apertures therein. The aperture for bolt assembly 57 is merely sufficient to permit the entrance of the bolt so that bolt assembly 57 serves as a pivot for the hubs 59 and 60 of drive hub means 30A whereas the aperture 61 for bolt 58 is elongated in the direction of extension of brace 53A, as will be seen, to accommodate the arcuate adjustment of brace 53A with reference to juncture plate 62. Juncture plate 62 is provided with a pair of apertures, one to permit the penetration of the bolt of assembly 57 so that the brace 53A may be pivoted thereon and a second slot 68 permitting adjustment of bolt assembly 58 and consequent adjustable position of brace 53A with reference thereto.

The plate 62 is welded to a sleeve 69 positioned between hubs 59 and 60 which are bolted or otherwise secured by bolt assemblies 63 and 64 to shaft 65. Shaft 65 has an extending end extending within hub 60 to which is fixed the universal 66, in turn fixed to drive shaft 67 which is secured by universal 35 to shaft 29 all as described with reference to the modification of FIGURES 1-3.

The hubs 59 and 60 are identical but oppositely turned and each comprises a hollow drum provided with a plurality of spaced gores around the circumference, the gores inclined in the direction of the outer edge of the drum and consequently oppositely disposed to each other in spaced relation when the drums are positioned as shown in FIGURE 5.

It will be appreciated that in the operation of the modification of FIGURES 46, the hubs 59 and 60 and shaft 65 may be adjusted in the angle at which they are positioned with reference to the augers 22A and 23A and likewise the angle at which they are positioned with reference to the brace 53A (as well as the angle at which they are positioned with reference to any other point of reference on the machine or silo wall). To do so, it is only necessary to loosen the bolt assembly 58 and tilt the shaft 65 so that the bolt assembly moves in the slot 68 until an appropriate position has been determined and retighten the bolt assembly 58. In some instances, it may be desirable to loosen bolt assembly 57 to permit pivoting. Reference to FIGURE 5 will show the positioning of the universal 66 substantially within the hollow cup or drum of hub 60. The universal 66 and shaft 67 are of the type shown and described in Patent No. 2,719,058 and reference thereto is made for additional details. Whether in the modification of FIGURES l3 or 46, the hubs are positioned on a line substantially at right angles to the elongated extension of the machine frame, such line extending from the frame at a point between adjacent the inboard end of the machine but spaced toward the outboard end of the machine from the position of the transmission.

It is apparent that many modifications and variations of this invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drive means for a silo unloader adapted to be connected to the unloader and driven by a shaft means therefrom, the improvement of a driven shaft, a connecting member, a pair of spaced universal joints secured to said connecting member, one of said universal joints being secured to the driving shaft of said silo unloader and the other of said universal joints being secured to the driven shaft, a drive hub means secured to said driven shaft for rotation therewith, brace means connected rotatably to said driven shaft and extending therefrom to said unloader for positioning said drive hub means, and means secured between said brace means and said driven shaft whereby said drive hub means may be angularly adjusted about a vertical axis with respect to said brace means.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said means connected between said brace means and said driven shaft for determining the position of said drive hub means comprises a second brace means.

3. In a drive means for a silo unloader adapted to be connected to the unloader and driven by a shaft means from the inboard end of the unloader, the improvement of a driven shaft, a connecting member, a pair of spaced universal joints secured to said connecting member, one of said universal joints being secured to the driving shaft of said silo unloader and the other of said universal joints being secured to the driven shaft, a drive hub means secured to said driven shaft for rotation therewith, angularly extending telescopic brace means connected to the outboard end of said unloader and said drive shaft for positioning said drive hub means with respect to the unloader and second telescopic brace means connected to said angularly extending telescopic brace means and said driven shaft.

4. A silo unloader comprising in combination an elongated conveying means adapted to be positioned on the surface of ensilage having an outboard end positioned adjacent the silo wall and an inboard end positioned substantially at the center of the silo, drive means including an axle positioned on the surface of the ensilage for rotating said elongated conveyor about said inboard end, said drive mean being positioned so as to drive the outboard end of said elongated conveyor into constant engagement with the silo wall, first wall engaging wheel means adjacent said outboard end of said elongated conveyor, second wall engaging wheel means positioned at an angle to the extension of said elongated conveying means and engaging the silo wall and adjustable brace means connected between said elongated conveying means and said drive means axle whereby the position of said drive means axle may be adjusted with reference to said conveying means to vary the force with which at least one of said wall engaging wheel means will engage the silo wall.

5. In a drive means for a silo unloader adapted to be connected to the unloader and driven by a shaft means therefrom, the improvement of a driven shaft, a pair of spaced universal joints secured to a connecting member, one of said universal joints being secured to the driving shaft of said silo unloader, the other of said universal joints being secured to the driven shaft, the drive hub means comprising a pair of spaced drive hubs secured to said driven shaft for rotation therewith, juncture means secured to said drive hub means between said hubs only for positioning said drive hub means with respect to the unloader, and brace means connected between said unloader and said juncture means.

6. A silo unloader comprising in combination an elongated frame means supporting an elongated conveying means adapted to be positioned upon the surface of ensilage within the silo for conveying material to a means for receiving ensilage therefrom and for discharging the same from the silo, power means on said silo unloader spaced from said receiving and discharging means on the other side thereof with respect to said elongated conveying means, a rotatable drive hub spaced from said power means, yieldable driving means interconnecting said power means and said rotatable drive hub, said means interconnecting said power means and said rotatable drive hub yielding to allow changes in the angular disposition of the axis of rotation of said drive hub relative to the longitudinal axis of said silo unloader elongated conveying means, bracing structure secured to said silo unloader and extending therefrom to said rotatable drive hub, and adjustable means interconnecting said bracing structure and said drive hub for variably determining the angular disposition of the axis of rotation of said drive hub means relative to the longitudinal axis of said elongated conveying means in a substantially horizontal plane.

7. The structure of claim 6 in which there is wall engaging means at the outboard end only of said unloader.

8. In a drive means for a silo unloader adapted to be connected to the unloader and driven by a shaft means from the inboard end of the unloader, the improvement of a driven shaft, a connecting member, a pair of spaced universal joints secured to said connecting member, one of said universal joints being secured to the driving shaft of said silo unloader and the other of said universal joints being secured to the driven shaft, a drive hub means secured to said driven shaft for rotation therewith, first angularly extending brace means connected to the outboard end of said unloader and said drive shaft for positioning said drive hub means with respect to the unloader and second brace means connected to said first brace means and said driven shaft, and means whereby the angle of extension of said first and second brace means may be adjusted with respect to each other to variably determine the angle of the axis of rotation of said drive hub means in a substantially horizontal plane with respect to said unloader.

9. In a silo unloader, an elongated gathering means positioned for conveying material to a central impeller, the central impeller positioned adjacent an end thereof, transmission means for driving said impeller positioned in spaced relation on the other side of said central impeller from said gathering means, a drive hub means adapted to be connected to the unloader and driven by a shaft means therefrom, a pair of spaced universal joints secured to a connecting member, one of said universal joints being secured to the driving shaft of said silo unloader, the other of said universal joints being secured to the driven shaft, said drive hub means secured to said driven shaft for rotation therewith, juncture means secured to said drive hub means, brace means connected to said unloader and adjustably to said juncture between said hubs for variably positioning the axis of said drive hub means in a horizontal plane with respect to the unloader and wall engaging wheel means positioned at the outboard end of said gathering means only.

10. The structure of claim 9 further characterized by drive hub means being positioned substantially on a radial line extending substantially from the axis of said central impeller.

11. The structure of claim 9 further characterized by cable suspension means secured adjacent the inboard end of said gathering means.

12. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that said drive hub means includes a pair of spaced drive hubs and said brace means is secured to said driven shaft between said hubs.

13. The drive means of claim 5 in which one of said hubs is open in an inwardly direction and one of said universal joints is positioned substantially therein.

14. A silo unloader comprising in combination an elongated frame means supporting an elongated conveying means adapted to be positioned upon the surface of ensilage within the silo for conveying material to a means 7 23 for receiving ensilage therefrom and for discharging the Within said silo is substantially determined by the angular same from the silo, adjustable drive hub means in a trailadjustmgnt of Said ing position in the 90 quadrant behind said unloader, References Cited in the file of this patent said drive hub means being adjustable as to alter the an- UNITED STATES PATENTS gle formed between its axis of rotation and the longi- 2 671 696 McLean Mar 9 1954 tudinal axis of said elongated frame means extending 2:858:033 Hofer 1958 from said frame means, and Wall engaging Wheel means 2,995,250 Mccann et a1. Aug 3, 1961 positioned only at the outboard end of said unloader 3,013,673 P t et 1 D 19 1961 and adjacent thereto whereby the position of the unloader 10 3,017,045 Soehl et al. Jan. 16, 1962 

1. IN A DRIVE MEANS FOR A SILO UNLOADER ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO THE UNLOADER AND DRIVEN BY A SHAFT MEANS THEREFROM, THE IMPROVEMENT OF A DRIVEN SHAFT, A CONNECTING MEMBER, A PAIR OF SPACED UNIVERSAL JOINTS SECURED TO SAID CONNECTING MEMBER, ONE OF SAID UNIVERSAL JOINTS BEING SECURED TO THE DRIVING SHAFT OF SAID SILO UNLOADER AND THE OTHER OF SAID UNIVERSAL JOINTS BEING SECURED TO THE DRIVEN SHAFT, A DRIVE HUB MEANS SECURED TO SAID DRIVEN SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH, BRACE MEANS CONNECTED ROTATABLY TO SAID DRIVEN SHAFT AND EXTENDING THEREFROM TO SAID UNLOADER FOR POSITIONING SAID DRIVE HUB MEANS, AND MEANS SECURED BETWEEN SAID BRACE MEANS AND SAID DRIVEN SHAFT WHEREBY SAID DRIVE HUB MEANS MAY BE ANGULARLY ADJUSTED ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS WITH RESPECT TO SAID BRACE MEANS. 